Method and apparatus for operating lotteries and for generating and processing lottery entries

ABSTRACT

A system and process for generating, distributing, and processing lottery tickets guaranteed to win a drawing-based prize. Tickets are appropriately priced, and are validated at point of sale by a central server in which the ticket information is stored. Subsequent to each lottery drawing, the winning lottery numbers are compared to the entries in a never-lose ticket database to determine if any of the entries match the winning number. Winning entries are appropriately identified and tagged as inactive, while entries that have not yet won a drawing-based prize remain active for future drawings. Ticket pricing methodology is provided for appropriately pricing never-lose tickets. A method and apparatus are further provided whereby a ticket holder may query the status of a never-lose ticket directly from the server.

The present Application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/623,046 entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOROPERATING LOTTERIES AND FOR GENERATING AND PROCESSING LOTTERY ENTRIES”,filed Jul. 18, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,382 in the name of Walker etal; which is a Continuation Application of commonly-owned U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/568,484, filed May 10, 2000, and which issued asU.S. Pat. No. 6,599,186 B1 on Jul. 29, 2003; which is a ContinuationApplication of commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/052,295 filed Mar. 31, 1998 and which issued as U.S. Pat. No.6,086,477 on Jun. 11, 2000. The entirety of the above-referencedApplications are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to lotteries and morespecifically to methods and apparatus for generating and processinglottery entries.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lotteries currently generate over $30 billion in ticket sales in the USalone. Thirty-eight states in the US offer at least onegovernment-sponsored lottery, with much of the profits going to augmentthe state tax base, for example by funding state educational systems.

In a typical operation, a lottery is operated by a central authoritywith a government-licensed sponsor providing much of the equipment andsupport necessary to establish, market, and run the operation. Such acentral authority typically maintain one or more centralized operationsfor receiving and processing lottery entries, the entries themselvesbeing sold at remote authorized lottery outlets or terminals.

A purchase of a lottery ticket typically requires a visit to one of theauthorized lottery outlets, where the process varies depending on thetype of game to be played. Commonly known games include ‘instant’tickets, or ‘scratch’ tickets, where the winning status is apparent onthe face of the ticket, and ‘Lotto’ games where the player picks orotherwise receives a set of entry numbers, the status of the numbersdetermined by a match with numbers selected in a subsequent lotterydrawing. The present invention has particular application to Lotto stylelotteries, which will be discussed in detail herein.

In a Lotto game, a player selects one or more numbers, the exact format,quantity and ordinal value range of the numbers being dependent on thetype of game. In a “6/49” game, for example, six numbers are selected,each in the range from one to forty-nine. The numbers may be selectedindividually by the purchaser. Alternatively, many lottery authoritiesoffer a ‘quick-pick’ option whereby, upon request by the purchaser, arandom number generator controlled by the lottery authority is used toselect the entry numbers. In either case, the actual ticket request istypically made through the completion of a ‘sense mark form,’ or ‘betslip,’ which is a machine-readable paper form having check boxes thatare filled in by the purchaser and read by the lottery terminal. For afurther description of “Lotto” style lottery games, including the 6/49game, reference is made to Dr. Z's 6/49 Lotto Guidebook, by Ziemba, Dr.William T., et al., published 1986 by Dr. Z Investments, Inc., ISBN0-9690097-2-2, incorporated herein by reference.

The ticket purchase information is read by the local lottery terminaland transmitted to the central lottery authority. The central authorityprocesses the ticket request by storing the selected lottery numbers,and assigning a ticket identifier. An appropriate ticket is printed atthe terminal and sold to the player. The ticket is kept by the player asvalidation of an entry in a lottery drawing, which is typically heldonce or twice per week.

A lottery ticket is typically good for one lottery drawing. Thus, eachentry in a lottery normally requires a trip to a lottery terminal topurchase a ticket.

Recently, limited options have been made available whereby lotterytickets may be purchased without visits to a lottery agent. To increaseticket sales, as well as for customer-convenience, some lotteries nowoffer subscription sales of lottery tickets. With a subscription ticket,lottery entries are automatically re-entered into drawings for apredefined number of weeks. Such subscription tickets are often madeavailable at a discounted price. The Vermont State Lottery, for example,offers multiple drawing “contracts,” or a subscription, whereby a playercan enter selected numbers in multiple drawings. While a lotterysubscription is more convenient, there is no guarantee that the playerwill win any prize.

In most lotteries, a jackpot that is not won by a player in a drawing is“rolled over” into the next drawing. In fact, the value of the jackpotis usually progressive, in that it increases each time a winner does notresult from a drawing. While the lottery jackpot remains progressive,however, each ticket is typically only valid for a single drawing. Evenwith subscription purchases, the subscription or contract represents avirtual series of tickets, each good for a predetermined drawing.Despite the fact that the purchase of a ticket is not required for everysingle drawing in which an entry is required, significant time, energyand planning are still required on the part of a player to purchaselottery tickets, with, of course, no guarantee of a winning return.

One system for enabling lottery players to reuse lottery tickets insubsequent lottery drawings is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,463 toMarin. The Marin patent teaches a system and method by which a lotteryplayer may purchase a lottery entry which is applied to all subsequentdrawings in which a jackpot prize is not awarded. Thus, if a jackpot isnot awarded for three drawings subsequent to the purchase of the ticket,the ticket is automatically valid and re-entered into each of thosedrawings. The ticket becomes invalid or expired upon the award of ajackpot, whether that ticket represented a winning selection or not.Thus, the Marin patent relieves at most a small part of the burden oftraveling to a lottery agent and waiting on line to purchase lotterytickets.

A number of lottery agencies have adopted the practice of sellinglottery tickets that offer bonus prizes in addition to qualifying forprizes associated with a drawing. Still other lottery tickets includepromotions offering discounts on products or services if the tickets donot win a drawing-based prize. The Missouri Lottery, for example, offersan instant win ticket having on one side an entry for a lottery prize ofup to $1,000 in cash, and on the other side a “bonus spot” providing anopportunity to win one prize from amongst millions of prizes donated bylocal businesses. Along similar lines, the Pennsylvania Lottery offers a“Cookout Cash” ticket. The “Cookout Cash” ticket is a lotto style ticketwhich further includes a coupon redeemable for a discounted meal if aprize is not won in a weekly drawing. These programs typically involvepromotional advertising by businesses in partnership with a lotteryauthority. Despite the fact that a purchaser is guaranteed at least anominal value for each ticket, the tickets are only valid for a singlelottery drawing, requiring a player to purchase subsequent tickets toparticipate in subsequent drawings.

Similar to the state lottery programs described above, private companieshave also offered promotional lottery games in which every ticketrepresents at least a nominal value to the player. Liberty Bank, forexample, has offered instant tickets with guaranteed prizes ranging from$0.50 to $100. Similarly, MCA has offered free scratch-and-win cards inwhich a ticket that does not win through the scratch-off game can beused to obtain a $2 discount on a compact disc at a participatingretailer. A further example of a promotional lottery ticket was offeredas a benefit for “Art Against Aids,” wherein a ticket holder wasguaranteed to win one of more than 100 donated art pieces.

While the games described above guarantee a prize for every player, theguaranteed prizes typically represent nominal promotional values. Theydo not represent the potential to win a significant, drawing-basedlottery award, nor are the prizes awarded from the actual lottery prizepool.

Thus, to the best of applicants' knowledge, participation in a lotterydrawing has in the past required that a ticket be purchased specificallyfor that drawing. While some subscription and contract services are nowavailable, whereby entries can be purchased for a series of drawings,the entries are limited to a pre-determined number of drawings,regardless of the results of those drawings. In the instance of Marin, apurchased ticket might have some limited carry-over opportunity if ajackpot is not awarded in a drawing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Given the deficiencies of the prior art in making participation inlotteries convenient to players, it would be most desirable to provide alottery ticket that is entered into subsequent lottery drawings untilthat ticket wins a drawing-based prize. Such a ticket would makeparticipation in lottery drawings significantly more convenient andattractive to interested players than has heretofore been available.Such a ticket would desirably have the result of increasing playerparticipation in lotteries, thereby providing the opportunity for alottery to award more prizes while yielding a higher return to thesponsoring party or government organization.

An object of the present invention is thus to provide a method andapparatus for generating and processing lottery entries whereby alottery entry is effective for consideration in lottery drawings untilthat entry wins a drawing-based prize.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus foroperating a lottery wherein entries are accepted for consideration inlottery drawings until each entry wins a drawing-based prize.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a method, apparatus, and program product for operating alottery, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a result of alottery drawing; comparing the result to a plurality of stored lotteryentries; and if the result corresponds to one of the plurality of storedlottery entries, identifying the one entry as a winning lottery entry.At least one non-winning lottery entry is identified from the pluralityof stored lottery entries, and the method is continued for (at leastone) subsequent lottery drawing(s) until the at least one non-winninglottery entry is identified as a winning lottery entry.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a method, apparatus, and program product for generating lotteryentries usable in a plurality of lottery drawings, the method comprisingthe steps of: receiving a request to purchase a lottery entry; andreceiving with the request an indicator that the lottery entry is to beentered into a plurality of lottery drawings until a lottery drawingidentifies the lottery entry as a winner. A ticket identifier isgenerated for the lottery entry to validate the lottery entry and theindicator, and the ticket identifier is transmitted to a remoteterminal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent from a consideration of the detailed description of theinvention when read in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a printed sense mark strip for procuring alottery ticket to participate in a lottery in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a printed lottery ticket for participating in alottery in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a diagrammatic view of a lottery authority server inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a diagrammatic view of a remote lottery terminal inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a table illustrating the contents of the ticket database ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a table illustrating the contents of the never lose ticketdatabase of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a table illustrating the contents of the winning ticketdatabase of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a table illustrating the contents of the dealer database ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an overview of a process ofobtaining a lottery ticket in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a process of operating a lotteryterminal to generate a ticket in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 10A, B together show a flow chart illustrating a process by whicha lottery authority server generates a lottery ticket entry/number inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a process of calculating a pricefor a lottery ticket in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 12A, B together show a flow chart illustrating a process ofidentifying winning lottery entries in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIGS. 13A, B together show a flow chart illustrating a process by whicha player can query the status of a lottery entry in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating an overview of a process forcashing in a winning lottery ticket to receive a prize in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating a process of operating a lotteryterminal to process a winning lottery ticket in accordance with thepresent invention; and

FIGS. 16A, B together show a flow chart illustrating a method by which alottery authority server processes a winning lottery ticket inaccordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

System

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a never-loseentry in a lottery remains active, and is thus re-entered in subsequentlottery drawings, until the entry wins a drawing-based prize. That is,the never-lose entry is active until it matches a winning lotteryresult, i.e. a winning lottery number.

This is in contrast to prior art lotteries wherein a losing ticket mightwin a prize based on a donated or promotional good or service unrelatedto a lottery drawing result.

The term “never-lose” is applied herein to lottery entries, tickets, andother apparatus and steps pertinent to operating a never-lose lotterygame in accordance with the present invention. Such never-lose entriescan be used in conjunction with conventional lottery games, whichapplicants then describe as comprising never-lose lottery games.

As will become apparent from a consideration of the detailed descriptionbelow, the present invention has the advantage of enabling a player,using only a single purchased entry, to participate in that number oflottery drawings necessary to win a drawing-based prize. In prior artlottery drawings, a player seeking a drawing-based prize would oftenhave to buy many tickets to achieve this goal. The invention thusgreatly simplifies the ticket purchasing process. Further, in thepreferred embodiment a player is fully capable of winning any of theavailable drawing-based prizes, including the jackpot or top prize, foreach of the drawings in which the never-lose entry is active.

By way of background, the preferred embodiment of the present inventionis operative in conjunction with a conventional state lottery program.In such programs, several of which are referenced above, a centralizedlottery authority, for example a state or a state-licensed authority,processes lottery entries and payouts through many dedicated, remotelottery terminals. Such terminals are typically licensed to and operatedby local retail stores.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a sense mark form 20, or “bet slip,” isshown whereby a never-lose ticket 22 can be purchased at a lotteryterminal of the type described herein below. Form 20, typically printedon paper and including fill-in regions intended to be blackened-in withpencil, includes a printed header region 20A containing indiciaidentifying a particular state lottery game. A region 20B includesprinted game boards whereby player-selected numbers are blackened toidentify a selected lottery ticket entry. A region 20C includes printedblocks which can be blackened to select a set number of games for whichthe entry is active, while a region 20D provides the player a printedblock which can be blackened to indicate a purchase of a never-loselottery entry in accordance with the present invention.

Examining form 20 of FIG. 1, header 20A is seen to include an identifierfor a “NEVER LOSE lotto” entry in an “XYZ STATE” lottery drawing. Sixboards in region 20B each permit a player to select six numbers (in theillustrated embodiment) between one and forty-nine, thereby enabling aplayer to select up to six separate, six number entries. Region 20Cenables a player to identify the number of games to be played based onthe number of boards which have been filled out in region 20B. Region20D enables the player to select the never-lose option for the lotterynumbers he is entering.

With specific reference to FIG. 2, ticket 22, provided as a result ofprocessing a completed bet slip, identifies a lottery entry as a $24.00(22A) never-lose entry (22B). The player-selected lottery numbers areshown at 22C to be “14-23-25-29-36-40.” A printed ticket identifier 22Dis generated by the lottery authority for tracking purposes describedbelow, as is a date of purchase 22E for the ticket.

Referring now to FIG. 3A, a server 30 comprises one embodiment of acomputer server operable by a lottery authority for generating,validating, processing and redeeming lottery entries in accordance withthe present invention. Server 30 includes a processor 32 connected to astorage device 34, to an interactive voice response unit (IVRU) 36, andto a lottery network interface 38. Storage device 34 includes fourdatabases: a ticket database 40, a never lose ticket database 42, awinning ticket database 44, and a dealer database 46. Storage device 34further includes the necessary software for operating server 30 inaccordance with the processes described in detail herein.

Server 30 preferably comprises one of many conventional computerservers, for example an IBM RS6000®, programmed to operate in accordancewith the present invention. Storage device 34 comprises an appropriatememory device, for example including an appropriate combination ofsemiconductor, magnetic, and optical memory. IVRU 36 comprises one ofmany well-known commercial units, for example AT&T's Conversant VoiceInformation System (VIS) operating on a hardware platform such as aMAP/100C system, while network interface 38 comprises standard networkinterface hardware and software.

With reference now to FIG. 3B, a local lottery terminal 31, of the typeoperated by a retail establishment as described above, is shown.

In contrast to server 30 described above, lottery terminal devices ofthe type such as lottery terminal 31 typically require less processingpower, and are generally more ‘terminal-like’ in construction. Morespecifically, lottery terminal 31 is seen to include a processor 33, alottery network interface 35, and a storage device 37. Processor 33 maycomprise, for example, an Intel Pentium® compatible processor. Lotterynetwork interface 35 comprises an appropriate network interface device,many of which are well known in the art. Storage device 37 comprises anappropriate memory device, for example including an appropriatecombination of semiconductor, magnetic, and optical memory, and is seento include an audit data database 39. Audit data database stores localsales data, for example including quantities and dollar volumes ofticket sales.

Lottery terminal 31 is seen to further include an input/output (I/O)device(s) 41, a lottery ticket reader 43, a ticket printer 45, and asense mark form reader 47. I/O device 41 includes appropriate means forcommunicating data between a human operator and terminal 31, for examplea video terminal and keyboard. Ticket printer 45 comprises a printeradapted to print lottery tickets, many of which are commerciallyavailable and well known in the art. Likewise, sense mark form reader 47and lottery ticket reader 43 comprise commercially available units forreading data from completed sense mark forms and printed lotterytickets, respectively, many of which are well known in the art.

With reference to FIG. 4, ticket database 40 is seen to include fiverecords 50A-E, each record including six fields of data pertinent to aticket representing a lottery entry: a GAME TYPE field 52, a TICKETIDENTIFIER field 54, a NUMBERS SELECTED field 56, a DATE OF PURCHASEfield 58, a NEXT DRAWING field 60, and a DEALER IDENTIFIER field 62.Game type field 52 identifies the type of game which the ticketcorresponds to. It should be noted that different games may be stored indifferent databases. For example, the Lotto 6-49 ticket information maybe stored in one database, while the Daily Numbers game (e.g. a pickthree game) may be stored in another database. For the purposes of thisapplication, the database described in FIG. 4 contains ticketinformation for a never-lose Lotto 6-49 game only.

Ticket identifier 54 represents a unique number generated by the lotteryauthority server 30 (FIG. 3A) to both validate and track an entry. Thenumbers selected by the player are stored in field 56, while the date ofpurchase of the ticket is contained in field 58. Next drawing field 60identifies the next drawing by date for which the entry will be active,while dealer identifier field 62 represents an identifier for theoperator of the lottery terminal from which the entry was received.

With reference now to FIG. 5, never lose ticket database 42 includesfive records 66A-E, each record including seven fields of data pertinentto a never-lose ticket representing an entry in a never-lose lottery. AGAME TYPE field 68, TICKET IDENTIFIER field 70, DATE OF PURCHASE field72, NEXT DRAWING field 74, DEALER IDENTIFIER field 76, and NUMBERSSELECTED field 80, each include like information to like-named fields52, 54, 58, 60, 62, 56 of ticket database 40, respectively. A STATUSfield 78 includes data indicating if a ticket is “active,” i.e. to beconsidered in a future drawing, or “closed,” i.e. not to be consideredin any future drawings. With reference now to FIG. 6, winning ticketdatabase 44 includes four records 88A-D, each record including sixfields of data pertinent to the winning status of a lottery ticket. Itshould be noted that in this embodiment, the winning ticket database 44stores both conventional and never-lose winning ticket information. Inother embodiments, there is a separate winning ticket database fornever-lose tickets only. A GAME TYPE field 90, TICKET IDENTIFIER field96, and NUMBERS SELECTED field 98, each includes like information tolike-named fields 52, 54, and 56 of ticket database 40, respectively. ADRAWING DATE field 92 and NUMBERS DRAWN field 94 include the drawingdate and drawn numbers of the winning drawing, respectively. A PRIZEfield 100 indicates the prize awarded to each winning entry, the valueof the prize of course being dependent on a host of factors includingthe game type, the jackpot for a particular game, and the number ofmatches between the numbers drawn and the entry numbers.

Referring now to FIG. 7, dealer database 46 is shown including fourrecords 102A-D, each record including four fields. A DEALER IDENTIFIERfield 104, an ADDRESS field 106, a TELEPHONE NUMBER field 108 and a NAMEfield 110 identify the operators of the various lottery terminals.Dealer identifier field 104 represents a unique index number assignedeach dealer and/or each lottery terminal by the system, while theremaining fields are self-explanatory.

Process

Referring now to FIG. 8, an overview process 120 is shown whereby anever-lose lottery ticket is purchased by a customer/player. To initiatethe process, a player travels to a location operating a lottery terminaland obtains a sense mark form 20 of the type shown in FIG. 1. The playercompletes the bet slip, indicating the number of games to be played andthe numbers selected for each game (step 122). In accordance with theinvention, the player blackens the portion of the bet slip directedtowards the never-lose option (step 124).

In an alternate embodiment, the player may request that the lotteryauthority randomly select numbers for his entry. Further, the never-loselottery tickets may be purchased using a more specialized sense markform, in lieu of the described form with the selectable option. Theplayer would thus be presented with two lottery betting slips, one forobtaining conventional lottery tickets and one for obtaining never-losetickets. Of course, embodiments negating the use of the bet slip arealso apparent where, for example, the player enters his entryinformation directly into a user-operated lottery terminal or via theInternet.

Once the player has submitted his bet slip to the lottery terminaloperator (step 126), the slip is entered into sense mark form reader 47(step 128), and the data on the slip is communicated from terminal 31 tothe central lottery authority server 30 shown in FIG. 3. Appropriatedata is exchanged between the lottery terminal and the lottery server(step 130) whereby a ticket price is set, and the user entry isregistered with and validated by the lottery server. Appropriate data isdefined as at least the minimum amount of data required by the lotteryauthority to register and price a lottery entry or ticket. In thepresent embodiment, the appropriate data exchanged includes the numberof games to be played, the numbers selected by the player correspondingto each game, the date of purchase of the ticket, and an indication thatthe entry is for a never-lose ticket. A lottery ticket of the type shownin FIG. 2 is printed at lottery terminal ticket printer 45 (step 132),and the ticket is provided to the player in exchange for the ticketprice (step 134).

Referring now to FIGS. 9, 10A, and 10B a more detailed process is shownwhereby lottery terminal 31 communicates with lottery server 30 togenerate a valid, never-lose lottery ticket. Beginning with the process140 of operation of the lottery terminal, the sense mark form is fedinto and received by the reader (step 144), which reads the data encodedin the manner described above (step 146). In step 148, the terminal 31determines the number of games to be played as specified by the dataread from the bet slip in step 146. For each game to be played, terminal31 determines the selected, or assigned (i.e. randomly selected bylottery authority server 30), lottery numbers. The ticket information isthen transmitted over the lottery network for processing by lotteryserver 30 (step 154).

With reference now to FIG. 10A, a process 160 is shown whereby server 30(FIG. 2) operates to process lottery entry data, calculate a price for aticket(s), and transmit the price and validation data back to lotteryterminal 31. More specifically, server 30 receives a transmission fromlottery terminal 31 (step 162) which, based on the format of the data inthe transmission, is determined to be a request for registration of alottery entry (step 164).

In accordance with the present invention, server 30 processes the datato determine if the entry is for a never-lose ticket (step 166) and, ifso, continues to process the received data for appropriate entry intonever-lose ticket database 42 (FIG. 5) (step 168). More specifically,the incoming data is read to determine the number of games to be played,and the game type (step 170), and an appropriate record 66 is created innever-lose ticket database 42 for each game (step 172). A ticketidentifier is generated for each game entry record 66 (step 174), andstored with that record in the database (step 176).

Referring to FIG. 10B, the purchase date is read from the data receivedfrom lottery terminal 31, and stored in the date of purchase field 72 inthe appropriate record of never-lose ticket database 42 (step 178). Aprice is calculated for the particular game(s) entry(s) (step 180), themethod of which is described herein below, and registration informationis transmitted back to lottery terminal 31 (step 182). Registrationinformation includes any relevant information corresponding to theinformation stored at the time of the ticket(s) purchase. In the presentembodiment, the registration information includes the ticket identifier,the date of purchase, and the status of the ticket.

Referring back to FIG. 9, the data transmitted from the server 30 isreceived by lottery terminal 31 (step 156). The price of the lotteryentry is collected by the operator of the lottery terminal, and tocomplete this portion of the operation of the lottery terminal, alottery ticket 22 (FIG. 2) is printed at printer 45 for providing to theplayer (step 159).

Referring now to FIG. 11, there is shown an exemplary process 200 forcalculating the price of a never-lose lottery ticket. In the presentembodiment, the formula used to calculate the price of such a ticketincludes the following variables:

P=price of the never lose lottery ticket

M=markup added by the lottery authority

T=total number of possible unique outcomes

Prob X_(i)=probability of a player achieving a certain outcome

Payout X_(i)=the payout associated with a certain outcome

Prob Z=probability of a player not winning any prize

M is a percent markup included in the calculated ticket price so thatthe lottery derives a profit from the sale of never lose tickets. Amarkup factor of 1.5, for example, indicates that an additional 50% hasbeen included in the base cost calculated below. T is the total numberof unique outcomes, with a unique outcome representing a differentpayout. Prob X_(i) is the probability value for each of the possibleoutcomes. For instance, if the probability of winning the top prize orjackpot is one in ten million, then the value of Prob X_(jakpot) is0.0000001. Payout X_(i) is the respective amount of money awarded foreach outcome. For example, the payout for matching 5 of 6 possiblenumbers may be $100,000. Prob Z represents the chance that the playerreceives no payout for that particular lottery draw. Since most ticketsare losing tickets, this probability will generally be 80% or higher. Anexemplary pricing equation implementing these variables is representedby the following mathematical equation:

$\left\lbrack {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{T}\left( {\left( \frac{{Prob}\mspace{14mu} X_{i}}{1 - {{Prob}\mspace{14mu} Z}} \right){Payout}\mspace{14mu} X_{i}} \right)} \right\rbrack M$

It should be noted that the above equation is but one method ofcalculating the price of the never-lose lottery ticket. Those ofordinary skill in the art will understand that there are many otherequations which would provide reason able prices.

With reference now to FIG. 11, a process 200 for calculating the pricefor a never-lose lottery entry in accordance with the equation above isshown wherein server 30 determines the total number of possible outcomes(T) (step 202) and determines the probability (Prob X_(i)) of eachoutcome (step 204). Server 30 then subtracts the probability of no prize(Prob Z) from the integer 1 (step 206).

Continuing with the calculation of the price, server 30 divides ProbX_(i) by (1-Prob Z) for each of the outcomes (step 208), and multipliesthe result of the division operation of step 208 by Payout X_(i) foreach of the outcomes (step 210). Server 30 adds the result from themultiplication operation of step 210, for each of the (T) outcomes instep 202 (step 212), and rounds the result of the summation up or downto nearest whole number. The resulting number when multiplied by themarkup factor, constitutes the price of a never-lose lottery ticket forthat particular lottery game structure (step 214). Those of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that this calculation determines theexpected value of the ticket with the addition of a mark-up factor,ignoring the time value of money.

The following is an illustrative example of the pricing process 200 fora never lose lottery ticket entry in a one million dollar top prize,6-49 game. In this example, there are six possible outcomes. Eachoutcome has a corresponding payout or prize, with two matches or lessresulting in a payout of zero. The “5 of 6+” outcome represents a playerentry matching five of the six numbers correctly as well as a bonusnumber. For example, suppose the regular numbers drawn are 12, 15, 21,32, 42, and 48 and the bonus number drawn is 44. If the player numbersmatch five out of the six possible drawn numbers correctly, 12, 15, 32,42, and 48, and also match the drawn bonus number, 44, then the playerwins the second prize.

EXAMPLE 1 Lotto 6-49

Top Jackpot - $1,000,000 Payout (X_(i))* X_(i) Outcome Payout ($) Prob(X_(i)) Prob (Z) 1 − Prob (Z) [prob X_(i)/(1 − prob Z)] X₁ 6 OF 6$1,000,000 0.0000001 0.981469 0.018531 $5.40 X₂  5 OF 6+   $100,0000.0000004 0.981469 0.018531 $2.16 X₃ 5 OF 6    $1,000 0.0000180 0.9814690.018531 $0.97 X₄ 4 OF 6     $100 0.0009690 0.981469 0.018531 $5.23 X₅ 3OF 6      $2 0.0175440 0.981469 0.018531 $1.89 X₆ 0-2 OF 6       $00.9814690 0.981469 0.018531 $0.00 TOTAL: 1.0000000 $15.65 

For the exemplary one million dollar top prize 6-49 game set out inexample 1 of the table above, the price of the never-lose ticket (beforemarkup) is calculated to be $15.65. This is the expected value of theticket, representing the average return to the player given a largenumber of ticket purchases. The lottery would then use an appropriatemarkup (M) to build a profit margin into the ticket price. They could,for example, mark up all tickets by fifty percent so that the resultingprice is $23.48 ($15.65×1.5). This price may then be rounded up to thenearest whole dollar amount.

It should be noted that different prize structures and probabilities mayyield higher or lower prices for each never-lose lottery game structure.Thus, a 6/45 game with the same prize structure would have a differentticket price due to the different probability values associated witheach possible outcome.

In Example 2 set out below, the top prize has been changed to tenmillion dollars, with the remaining parameters otherwise identical toExample 1 set out above. The resulting price is seen to be calculated at$64.22 (before markup) as illustrated below.

EXAMPLE 2 Lotto 6-49

Top Jackpot - $10,000,000 Payout (X_(i))* X_(i) Outcome Payout ($) Prob(X_(i)) Prob (Z) 1 − Prob (Z) [prob X_(i)/(1 − prob Z)] X₁ 6 OF 6$10,000,000 0.0000001 0.981469 0.018531 $53.96  X₂    5 OF 6+   $100,000 0.0000004 0.981469 0.018531 $2.16 X₃ 5 OF 6    $1,0000.0000180 0.981469 0.018531 $0.97 X₄ 4 OF 6      $100 0.0009690 0.9814690.018531 $5.23 X₅ 3 OF 6       $2 0.0175440 0.981469 0.018531 $1.89 X₆0-2 OF 6        $0 0.9814690 0.981469 0.018531 $0.00 TOTAL: 1.0000000$64.22 

Examples one and two above show typical fixed jackpot amounts. Mostlottery jackpots, however, increase when the top payout is not won. Theoperating lottery authority may offer the never-lose option when thejackpot is at low amounts only, for the purpose of stimulating ticketsales.

It will be apparent from a consideration of the examples above that theprice of a never-lose lottery ticket could substantially exceed theprice of a conventional lottery ticket. Therefor, it may be desirable insome embodiments to decrease the up-front cost to the player, forexample by spreading the cost of the ticket over a number of payments.In such an embodiment, the expected value of the ticket is calculated asdescribed above, billing costs (if any) are added, and the total cost ofthe ticket is billed in periodic statements to the player. Such periodicbilling may be applied to a credit card account, or may be implementedby automatic deductions from a savings or checking account identified bythe player.

In an alternate billing arrangement, the player pays a conventionalprice for each drawing for which the never-lose ticket is entered. Thefees and entry terminate upon a winning drawing. The price may be billedas described above to a credit card or other periodic payment mechanism.The valid status of the never-lose ticket may be cancelled if thepayment mechanism is disabled or becomes invalid; i.e. if a paymentaccount is terminated by the player. Theoretically, the calculated priceof this alternate billing arrangement is the same as the calculatedprices described in the examples above.

In an alternate method of calculating a price, the lottery authoritycould determine an average top prize for a given time period (e.g. oneyear), and calculate a single, uniform price for a never-lose ticketbased on that average top prize. The uniform price would then be usedfor all ticket sales in lieu of an individually calculated price foreach ticket. As an example, if the lottery authority determined that thetop jackpot averaged five million dollars over the past year, then theprice for all never-lose lottery tickets would be calculated once, inthe manner described above, using five million dollars as the top prize.

Yet another method for operating a never-lose lottery having fixed pricetickets is to offer a fixed top jackpot. Players purchasing never-losetickets would thus only be eligible to win this predetermined amount ifthey win the top prize. The jackpot for never-lose players would remainconstant from drawing to drawing, regardless of whether the top prizewere paid out. All never-lose entries would remain active until each wona drawing-based prize, but the top prize or jackpot would remain a fixedamount and not increase over time.

In embodiments where the top prize for never-lose ticket holders isdifferent from that of conventional ticket holders, the lottery operatorcould offer an insurance upsell where the difference between the jackpotamount and the top prize amount available to the ticket holder is paidshould the ticket holder match the maximum number of selectionscorrectly.

It is noted that top payouts are often split among multiple lotterywinners. This shared top payout fixes the cost of jackpot payouts by thelottery authorities because they pay the same amount of money regardlessof the number of winners. While not described in any of the examplesabove, this element of the lottery prize structure would be consideredwhen determining a fair and accurate price for each never-lose ticket.

While the above pricing equation incorporates a fixed percentage markupfor the lottery, there are many other ways in which a markup may becalculated. For example, the lottery could calculate the average numberof entries to be sold before a prize is won. This average number ofentries is then multiplied by the margin associated with individuallottery ticket sales. For example, most lotteries today operate with a100% markup on each ticket sold, that is prizes returned typicallyaverage half of the purchase price. A lottery offering a never-loseticket might calculate that it takes ten entries on average to win aprize. To determine the appropriate markup on the never-lose ticket, thelottery authority would multiply a $0.50 markup on a one dollar ticketby ten, and markup the never lose ticket by $5.00.

In yet another embodiment, the lottery assigns a number that equates toless than the average margin on normal ticket sales due to the increasedvolume as a result of the never-lose option.

It will be understood that numerous other methods for pricing never-loselottery tickets will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

With reference now to FIGS. 12A, B, there is described a method 220 forsearching never-lose ticket database 42 (FIG. 5) to identify winningtickets, and to store the records associated with those tickets inwinning ticket database 44 (FIG. 6).

More specifically, the winning numbers are received by server 30 (step222) following a lottery drawing. Such a drawing may be accomplished inone of many known ways, typically including the use of a random numbergenerator which may be electrical or mechanical in form. Such randomnumber generators are known to include, for example, hand drawings ofnumbers, mechanical operations to identify numbers, and electricalrandom number generators. The winning numbers may also be generated byan electronic random number generator operated in or by server 30.

It will be understood that the quantity of winning numbers will be afunction of the type of game being played. Some games may require thedrawing of multiple numbers to identify corresponding multiple classesof winners. In the 6/49 game described herein, a player selects sixnumbers, each ranging from one to forty-nine. A drawing is conductedtwice a week, each drawing identifying six winning numbers in the sameone to forty-nine range. Other variations exist where the quantity ofnumbers selected by the player is less than or more than six, and thepool of numbers from which they are chosen is greater than or less thanforty-nine.

Once the winning numbers have been entered into server 30, ticketdatabase 40 is searched to determine if there are any winning entries.Never-lose ticket database 42 is then read to determine if there are anywinning never-lose entries. This reading is accomplished by firstaccessing the database (step 224) and then comparing the NUMBERSSELECTED field 80 to the winning numbers (step 226), whereby any winningentries are identified (step 228). If no winning entries are identified,access to the never-lose ticket database is terminated (step 230).

If a winning entry (i.e. an entry having three or more matches with thedrawn numbers) is identified in never-lose ticket database 42, the datain status field 78 of the record 66 identifying the winning entry ischanged to “closed” (step 232). The winning record 66 data is extractedfrom never-lose ticket database 42 (step 234) and, after appropriatelyaccessing winning ticket database 44 (step 236), a new record 88 iscreated in the latter database (step 238). The winning entry data isstored in the newly created winning ticket database 44 record (step 240)to complete the processing of the winning entry. It will be appreciatedthat, while a preferred embodiment has been shown and described forprocessing never-lose entries to identify winning entries, many otherembodiments having functionally similar results will be apparent tothose skilled in the art.

With reference now to FIGS. 13A, B, in accordance with the presentinvention a process 250 is shown whereby a holder of a never-loselottery ticket may obtain the status of that ticket via telephone.

Describing now FIG. 13A, a player initiates a telephone call to alottery ‘hotline,’ (step 252), that is a telephone number established bythe lottery authority whereby a player can check the status of anever-lose lottery ticket. Interactive voice response unit (IVRU) 36receives the incoming telephone call, and recites a verbal instructionfor the caller to enter a ticket identifier (step 254). The use ofIVRUs, and the scripts to operate and control same, are well known tothose skilled in the art. Similarly, the description presented herein ofhandling an incoming call will be understood by those skilled in theart. Various components associated with call processing and handling,such as private branch exchanges (PBX), automatic call distributors(ACD), data buses, and switches, may be included and will be understoodby those skilled in the art. Such methods and components for callhandling are well known in the art and need not be described herein.

Upon entry by the caller of the digits representing the lottery ticketidentifier (step 256), the IVRU captures same (step 258) and transmitsthe ticket identifier to server 30 (step 260). Server 30 accessesnever-lose ticket database 42 (step 262) and queries the data in field70 of same (step 264) to identify any matching record 66 (step 266). Ifno matching record exists, an appropriate message is recited to thecaller through the IVRU, and re-entry of another ticket number may berequested. If a matching record 66 is found, the data in status field 78is read (step 268) to determine the status of the entry (step 270). Ifthe status is read as “active,” the server 30 directs the IVRU (step280) to recite a message (step 282) indicating that the ticket is stillactive.

If the status check done with respect to step 270 indicates that thestatus is “closed,” then winning ticket database 44 is accessed (step272) and field 96 is read (step 274) to identify the matching record(step 276), i.e. the record containing data identifying the winningticket. Appropriate information, including the winning numbers, thedrawing date, and the prize information are read (step 278) andtransmitted to the IVRU (step 280) for reciting to the caller/player(step 282).

Referring now to FIG. 14, a process 290 comprises an overview of amethod whereby a player may collect a prize for a winning never-loselottery ticket from a lottery terminal operator, a process commonlyreferred to as redeeming a winning lottery ticket. In accordance withthe process, the player presents the winning lottery ticket for paymentby a lottery terminal operator, or any other lottery dealer authorizedby the lottery authority to cash in winning tickets (step 292). It willbe understood that the value of the prize may determine the locationand/or the dealer at which the prize can be redeemed.

On receipt of the winning lottery ticket, the operator enters the ticketinto ticket reader 43 attached to lottery terminal 31 (step 294).Appropriate data, for example, the ticket identifier, is transmitted toremote lottery server 30 (step 296). The lottery server transmits backthe payout amount (step 297), which the lottery terminal uses to print apayment receipt (step 298). The lottery terminal operator then pays thewinning amount to the player (step 300). Details of the processpracticed by the lottery terminal are shown in FIG. 15, while details ofthe operation of server 30 are shown in FIGS. 16A, B, each of which isdescribed herein below.

With reference now to FIG. 15, a process 304 is shown whereby lotteryterminal 31 processes a winning, never-lose lottery ticket. Inaccordance with process 304, an apparently winning, never-lose lotteryticket is placed into ticket reader 43 of the terminal (step 306), fromwhich lottery ticket information is retrieved (step 308). Input isprovided to the terminal by an operator through I/O device 41 that theticket is to be verified as a winning ticket (step 310). Subsequently,the ticket information including the ticket number is transmitted tolottery server 30 for verification as a winning ticket (step 312).

Referring now to FIGS. 16A and B, a process 320 is shown whereby server30 operates to verify the winning status of a ticket. More specifically,server 30 receives the data transmission from the lottery terminal (step322), reads the received ticket identifier (step 324), and searchesnever-lose ticket database 42 (step 326) to find the record 66containing data in field 70 that matches the received ticket identifier(steps 328, 330). The data in status field 78 is read (step 332) toverify that it is “closed,” indicating a winning ticket. If the statusindicates the never-lose ticket is “active” (step 334), the record isshut (step 344) and the ticket owner is informed that the ticket isstill active, i.e. has not yet won a prize.

If the status in field 78 indicates the expected status of “closed,”winning ticket database 44 is accessed (step 336) and the contents offield 96 queried (step 338) to identify the record 88 having thematching ticket identifier (step 340). The prize amount, drawinginformation (i.e. drawing date and game type) and ticket identifier areread from the identified winning ticket record, and transmitted back tothe lottery terminal (step 342). The winning record is subsequently shut(step 344) and access to the winning ticket database is terminated.

Referring back again to FIG. 15, the response from lottery server 30 isreceived by the lottery terminal (step 314) and examined to determine ifthe ticket is a valid winning ticket (step 316). If the ticket is not awinning ticket, the owner is appropriately notified and this lotteryterminal process terminates. If the information received from thelottery server indicates the ticket is valid and winning, then dataincluding the ticket number, drawing date, and prize value is output tothe printer (step 318) for printing on a receipt (step 320).

There has thus been described a new and improved apparatus and processfor operating a lottery to generate, price, sell, process and redeemnever-lose lottery tickets. The invention provides significantadvantages in the field of lotteries, including simplifying the purchaseprocess while increasing the desirability of the tickets to the players.The invention has particular applicability in the field of state-runlotteries having authorized, distributed lottery dealers operatinglottery terminals in communication with a centralized server operated bya lottery authority.

While the present invention has been described with respect to specificembodiments, it is not thus limited. Numerous modifications,improvements, and changes will be apparent to those skilled in the artand which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A computer-readable medium storing instructions adapted to beexecuted by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:receiving an indication of a lottery entry, the lottery entry beingactive in at least a first lottery drawing; receiving an indication thatthe lottery entry is to be active in at least one second lottery drawingif the lottery entry fails to qualify for a prize in the first lotterydrawing, each second lottery drawing being subsequent to the firstlottery drawing; determining a result of the first lottery drawing withrespect to the lottery entry; and activating the lottery entry in eachsecond lottery drawing, in turn, until the lottery entry is a winner. 2.An apparatus comprising: a processor; and a computer-readable medium incommunication with the processor, the computer-readable medium storinginstructions adapted to be executed by the processor to perform a methodcomprising: receiving an indication of a lottery entry, the lotteryentry being active in at least a first lottery drawing; receiving anindication that the lottery entry is to be active in at least one secondlottery drawing if the lottery entry fails to qualify for a prize in thefirst lottery drawing, each second lottery drawing being subsequent tothe first lottery drawing; determining a result of the first lotterydrawing with respect to the lottery entry; and activating the lotteryentry in each second lottery drawing, in turn, until the lottery entryis a winner.
 3. A method comprising: receiving a request of a customerto purchase a lottery entry for a first lottery drawing, in which if thelottery entry is not a winning entry in the first lottery drawing thelottery entry is to be entered automatically into a second lotterydrawing subsequent to the first lottery drawing, in which if the lotteryentry is not a winning entry in the second lottery drawing the lotteryentry is to be entered automatically into subsequent lottery drawingsuntil the lottery entry is a winner, and in which each lottery drawingis associated with a plurality of lottery entries; and selling thelottery entry to the customer.
 4. The method of claim 3, furthercomprising: determining that the lottery entry is not a winning entry inthe first lottery drawing; and automatically entering the lottery entryin the second lottery drawing.
 5. The method of claim 4, furthercomprising: determining that the lottery entry is not a winning entry inthe second lottery drawing; and automatically entering the lottery entryin a subsequent lottery drawing.
 6. A computer-readable medium storinginstructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method,the method comprising: receiving a request of a customer to purchase alottery entry for a first lottery drawing, in which if the lottery entryis not a winning entry in the first lottery drawing the lottery entry isto be entered automatically into a second lottery drawing subsequent tothe first lottery drawing, in which if the lottery entry is not awinning entry in the second lottery drawing the lottery entry is to beentered automatically into subsequent lottery drawings until the lotteryentry is a winner, and in which each lottery drawing is associated witha plurality of lottery entries; and selling the lottery entry to thecustomer.
 7. An apparatus comprising: a processor; and acomputer-readable medium in communication with the processor, thecomputer-readable medium storing instructions adapted to be executed bythe processor to perform a method comprising: receiving a request of acustomer to purchase a lottery entry for a first lottery drawing, inwhich if the lottery entry is not a winning entry in the first lotterydrawing the lottery entry is to be entered automatically into a secondlottery drawing subsequent to the first lottery drawing, in which if thelottery entry is not a winning entry in the second lottery drawing thelottery entry is to be entered automatically into subsequent lotterydrawings until the lottery entry is a winner, and in which each lotterydrawing is associated with a plurality of lottery entries; and sellingthe lottery entry to the customer.
 8. A method comprising: selling alottery entry for a first lottery drawing; if the lottery entry is not awinning entry in the first lottery drawing, entering the lottery entryinto a second lottery drawing subsequent to the first lottery drawing;and if the lottery entry is not a winning entry in the second lotterydrawing, entering the lottery entry into further subsequent lotterydrawings until the lottery entry is identified as a winning entry, inwhich each lottery drawing subsequent to the first lottery drawing isassociated with a plurality of different lottery entries.
 9. Acomputer-readable medium storing instructions adapted to be executed bya processor to perform a method, the method comprising: selling alottery entry for a first lottery drawing; if the lottery entry is not awinning entry in the first lottery drawing, entering the lottery entryinto a second lottery drawing subsequent to the first lottery drawing;and if the lottery entry is not a winning entry in the second lotterydrawing, entering the lottery entry into further subsequent lotterydrawings until the lottery entry is identified as a winning entry, inwhich each lottery drawing subsequent to the first lottery drawing isassociated with a plurality of different lottery entries.
 10. Anapparatus comprising: a processor; and a computer-readable medium incommunication with the processor, the computer-readable medium storinginstructions adapted to be executed by the processor to perform a methodcomprising: determining a lottery entry that is active in a firstlottery drawing; and determining that until the lottery entry qualifiesfor a prize, the lottery entry is to be activated in each lotterydrawing that is subsequent to the first lottery drawing.
 11. A methodcomprising: generating a record in a database, the record beingassociated with a lottery entry that is active in a first lotterydrawing; determining that the lottery entry is eligible to be activatedin a plurality of lottery drawings subsequent to the first lotterydrawing until the lottery entry qualifies for a prize, in which eachlottery drawing of the plurality of lottery drawings subsequent to thefirst lottery drawing is associated with a plurality of differentlottery entries in addition to the determined lottery entry; andincluding, in the record associated with the lottery entry, anindication that the lottery entry is eligible to be activated in theplurality of lottery drawings until the lottery entry qualifies for aprize.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: offeringinsurance to a customer associated with the lottery entry.
 13. Themethod of claim 11, further comprising: determining a maximum prizeamount for which the lottery entry is eligible; determining a jackpotamount; and providing, to a player associated with the lottery entry, adifference between the jackpot amount and the maximum prize amount. 14.The method of claim 13, further comprising: determining that the lotteryentry matches a maximum number of selections.
 15. The method of claim13, further comprising: determining that the lottery entry is associatedwith insurance.
 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:determining that the maximum prize amount is less than the jackpotamount.
 17. The method of claim 11, further comprising: determiningwhether the lottery entry qualifies for a prize in the first lotterydrawing.
 18. The method of claim 11, further comprising: notifying aplayer that the lottery entry is eligible for entry in a lottery drawingthat is subsequent to the first lottery drawing.
 19. The method of claim11, further comprising: activating the lottery entry in a lotterydrawing that is subsequent to the first lottery drawing if the lotteryentry fails to qualify for a prize in the first lottery drawing.
 20. Themethod of claim 19, in which activating the lottery entry comprises:updating the record associated with the lottery entry to reflecteligibility in the lottery drawing that is subsequent to the firstlottery drawing.
 21. The method of claim 11, further comprising:determining a price for the lottery entry.
 22. The method of claim 21,in which determining a price for the lottery entry comprises:determining a price for the lottery entry based on an expected valueassociated with the lottery entry.
 23. The method of claim 21, in whichdetermining a price for the lottery entry comprises: determining a pricefor the lottery entry based on a top prize for which the lottery entryis eligible.
 24. The method of claim 21, in which determining a pricefor the lottery entry comprises: determining a price for the lotteryentry based on an average lottery payout for a given period of time. 25.The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving information aboutthe lottery entry from a player via a sense mark strip.
 26. The methodof claim 11, in which generating the record comprises: generating therecord after receiving data from a lottery retailer terminal.
 27. Themethod of claim 11, in which determining that the lottery entry iseligible to be activated in a plurality of lottery drawings subsequentto the first lottery drawing until the lottery entry qualifies for aprize comprises: receiving information from a player via a sense markstrip.
 28. The method of claim 11, in which determining that the lotteryentry is eligible to be activated in a plurality of lottery drawingssubsequent to the first lottery drawing until the lottery entryqualifies for a prize comprises: receiving information via a Web site.29. The method of claim 11, in which determining that the lottery entryis eligible to be activated in a plurality of lottery drawingssubsequent to the first lottery drawing until the lottery entryqualifies for a prize comprises: receiving data from a lottery retailerterminal.
 30. A computer-readable medium storing instructions adapted tobe executed by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:generating a record in a database, the record being associated with alottery entry that is active in a first lottery drawing; determiningthat the lottery entry is eligible to be activated in a plurality oflottery drawings subsequent to the first lottery drawing until thelottery entry qualifies for a prize, in which each lottery drawing ofthe plurality of lottery drawings subsequent to the first lotterydrawing is associated with a plurality of different lottery entries inaddition to the determined lottery entry; and including, in the recordassociated with the lottery entry, an indication that the lottery entryis eligible to be activated in the plurality of lottery drawings untilthe lottery entry qualifies for a prize.
 31. An apparatus comprising: aprocessor; and a computer-readable medium in communication with theprocessor, the computer-readable medium storing instructions adapted tobe executed by the processor to perform a method comprising: generatinga record in a database, the record being associated with a lottery entrythat is active in a first lottery drawing; determining that the lotteryentry is eligible to be activated in a plurality of lottery drawingssubsequent to the first lottery drawing until the lottery entryqualifies for a prize, in which each lottery drawing of the plurality oflottery drawings subsequent to the first lottery drawing is associatedwith a plurality of different lottery entries in addition to thedetermined lottery entry; and including, in the record associated withthe lottery entry, an indication that the lottery entry is eligible tobe activated in the plurality of lottery drawings until the lotteryentry qualifies for a prize.